Index



(No Model.)

A. E. DBTWILER.

INDEXI4 Patented Mar. 19, 1895.

UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED E. DETWILER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

INDEX- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,818, dated March 19, 1895.

l Application filed April 24, 1894:. Serial No. 508,776. (No model.)

ings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, Which form a part of this specification.

The main object of my invention is to provide an index which can be readily manipulated With one hand, which shall be of compact and convenient size and shape and the contents of which may be easily increased or re-arranged.

It consists essentially of the construction and also in the arrangement of parts hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be specifically defined by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in both figures.

Figure lis a front elevation of an index embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2, 2, Fig. l.

A designates a frame or case which maybe made of Wood or other suitable material. It consists of 1a back a. and a raised margin or marginal flange h formed at the top and bottom of the frame with paralled grooved ways c, c, as shown in Fig. 2.

D D are cards or tablets having their side margins lettered or figured in vertical columns and provided inside of said indexedmargins with vertical columns for figures or names or both according to the purpose to which the index is to be applied. These tablets may be made of card board or any other suitable material possessing the requisite stiffness to cause them to retain their shape and place in the frame. They are made of a width somewhat greater than half the width of the case between its side margins or flanges b, b, so that when one or more of the tablets is moved to one side of the case and the others occupy theopposite side of the case they will overlap each other at the center of the `case and thus be held in their properorder. Portions of the side margins of the overlying tablets are cut away to disclose the lettered or indexed margins of those underlying them. The index cards or tablets when made of sufliciently flexible material may be inserted in or removed from the case by springing them into or out of the grooved Ways o, c. If, on the other hand they are too rigid to admit of being so sprung into and out of place they may be inserted in or removed from the case by removing one of the side margins or flanges b.

For the purpose of illustration I have shown and described an index specially designed for use in connection with a telephone, the frame being provided with holes d d for attaching it to a Wall in convenient position for use. By obvious variations in the number and size ot' the cards or tablets and the arrangement of the matter thereon, an index embodying the principle of my invention may be adapted to various other uses.

It will be observed that Whatever the position of the index cards or tablets maybe, any underlying card or tablet may be uncovered by sliding the overlying cards or tablets to the opposite side of the case or frame requiring but a single movement of one hand. The other hand is thus left free for holding a telephone receiver or for any other employment in connection with which the index is used.

The back a, of the frame or case and the raised side margins or flanges b, b, which serve as stops to limit the movement of the tablets D D, may be omitted, projections being provided for stops at the ends of the Ways c c, and the details of construction may be otherwise variously modified within the intended scope of my invention.

I claim- 1. An index consisting of a case or frame Y having parallel guide-Ways at the top and bottom, and a number of cards or tablets adapted to be held at their upper and lower edges in said ways, and having indexed margins at both sides, the overlying cards or tablets having portions of both side margins cut away to disclose the indexed portions of those underlying, whereby any card maybe exposed by a single manipulation, whatever the position of the other cards may be, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ICO

2. An index composed of a case or frame having parallel ways at the top and. bottom,

` at both sides'and spaces for names or othery and stops at the sides, and a number of tablets of a little more than half the width of said case or frame between said stops, adapted to be held by their upper and lower edges in said Ways and to be moved therein from side to side of the case, and having indexed margins matter between the margins, the overlying tablets having portions of both side margins cut away to disclose the indexed portions of those underlying them, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. An index comprising an open front frame consisting of a back and a `raised margin or iiange having grooved ways at the top and bottom, and constituting stops at the sides, and a number of overlapping tablets loosely held by their upper and lower edges in said ways, and having lettered margins at both sides, vertical columns for figures inside of the lettered margins, and an intermediate space for names, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. An index consisting of a frame having parallel grooved ways at the top and bottom, and stops at the sides, and overlapping sliding tablets loosely held by their upper and lower edges in said ways, and having indexed margins at both sides, the overlapping `tablets having portions of both side margins cut away between the ends to disclose the indexed portions of those underlying them, the remaining portions of said margins serving by engagement with said stops to limit the movement of said tablets in either direction at the proper points, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. An index comprising a series of separate tablets adapted to be slid back and forth over each other in a suitable case or frame, and having indexed margins at both sides, the overlying tablets having portions of both side margins cut away to disclose the indexed portions on both sides of those underlying them when placed directly over each other, and'to disclose at least one indexed margin of each tablet when a portion of the tablets are in one extreme position and the others in the other extreme position, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED E. DETVVILER.

Vitnesses:

CHAs. L. Goss, M. L. EMERY. 

